I want to ask each of you to consider doing the following when you are talking on the phone to any US customer service representative that is based in a foreign country (like India ). I have done this twice and it works! Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, charter communications, health insurance, insurance, you name it) and you are transferred to a representative (like in India), please consider doing the following:

After you connect and you realize that the customer service representative is not from the USA (you can always ask if you are not sure about the accent), please very politely (very politely – this is not about trashing other cultures) say, “I’d like to speak to a customer service representative in the United States of America .” The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, but, again, politely say, “Thank you, but I’d like to speak to a customer service representative in the USA .” YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED to a rep in the USA . It only takes less than one minute to have your call re- directed to the USA . Tonight when I got redirected to a USA rep, I asked again to make sure – and yes, she was from Fort Lauderdale .

Imagine if tomorrow, every US citizen who has to make such a call and then requests a US rep, imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of US jobs that would need to be created ASAP. Imagine what would happen if every US citizen insisted on talking to only US phone reps from this day on.
If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this – see what I mean…it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.

Remember – the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home – not to be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep. If you agree, please tell 10 people you know and tell them to tell 10 people they know….etc…etc…

Sorry to say that is totally BOGUS and has been circling the Internet for approx. 3+years now with an assortment of different twists on it.

There are no laws, federal or otherwise which require anyone be transferred from a foreign customer service center to one in the USA. Some of the corporations do not have customer service centers in the USA.

However, in 2009 Representative Jason Altmire, Democrat from PA introduced legislation referred to as “Call Center Consumer’s Right to Know Act [HR. 3721] to Congress. It was then referred to the House subcommittee and tabled. That proposed legislation was directed at restricting the use of foreign call centers in an effort to eliminate transfer of more jobs out of the USA and into foreign countries. Only two Republicans co-sponsored HR. 3721; Walter Jones Repub. NC and Tim Murphy Repub. PA.

Again in 2010, a similar issue was once again broached. Sen. Charles Schumer Dem. from NY announced he would be introducing legislations requiring US callers to be informed when being transferred to a foreign country and also place a 25 cent per call excise tax on such a call. To date, Senator Schumer still has not introduced any such bill.

In the meantime, a few US companies have established their own policy and procedures directing call center operators transfer calls back to the USA at customer’s request.

Now then, just try to find a US company that does that. None so far as I know. Unless you ask the answering operator point blank just where they are located you are not going to find out. I have personally never had anyone be forthcoming in divulging that information of their own accord.

Ok, Ok, I can honestly say that I just tried this and it worked. I called the 800 number for my Sallie Mae Student Loan. I asked for a customer service rep in the United States. The rep I had transferred me to her manager. I requested a person in the United States once again. They did transfer me, but I had to wait 10 minutes on hold before a sweet American named Tonya helped me. She answered me that she was in Wilkes-Barre PA. She asked me why I’d asked for an American Customer service rep, and I told her it was to save American jobs. She thanked me for doing that. This is real, I made the call on Monday, September 26, 2011. I can’t be sure it really was in the United States, but it was a woman with an american Accent. Tonight, (9-27-11), I called to cancel my Internet Provider Netzero. I got a woman with an Indian Accent. I asked for a customer service rep in the United States and she got a bit testy and transferred me to a person with an American accent. It may not be law, but I’m demanding it now with every call and it seems to be working for me.

This does not work with Barnes and Noble. I have had nothing but trouble with my problem and their tech support. Everything I asked to speak to someone in the US I was denied and was told they (someone in the Philippines) could help me. They couldn’t even pronounce my name much less help me with my problem.

There’s no law, but if a company has US and foreign call centers they’ll likely have an internal policy in place that requires foreign reps to transfer to US reps upon request. Chase bank does and even has an option where you can set a preference on your account to always speak with an US rep when you call in(note you have to verify your account information via the automated system for it to work)

I’m sure it’s not true. Didn’t even check. We have big government, but even IT is not going to go THAT far. Businesses have the right to hire, fire, and locate anywhere they please.

I don’t like big government, but I also don’t like our jobs going overseas, and although I may ‘date’ other nationalities (don’t have to speak perfect English to be social, lol), if you are trying to ‘walk’ me through something like computer fixes or talk to me about my repairs you are working on, you better speak FLUENT English. Had the same problem in college with a foreign TA trying to teach me ALGEBRA. I hate Algebra, lol!

I don’t know if it works, but most people have a misconception that if they reach a person with accent that person must be in India or Philipines, when they are mostly in U.S. Yes, I do work in a call center in Seattle, and I do have an accent because I speak German, English, and Spanish, however people should think better before giving a dirty comment about culture.

I found out today HOME DEPOT does not have a call center for warranties in the USA . You must speak to the Phillipines. Do not buy appliances at Home Depot because of this . You will get no where. It is a PAIN

Funny to read but definitely won’t work in 90% of attempts with any company that outsources. If anything, you’ll end up being transferred around several times only to be disconnected and call back to repeat the cycle until you either give up or work with the foreign representative. Personally, since I feel like the art of writing is dying, I’ve found that writing the corporate offices of these companies helps, but very little – unless done in masses. If enough people complain or even stop doing business with such companies they will get the message. After all, US based representatives are usually nicer and a hell of a lot easier to understand.

Please re-read this blog. It does NOT say that it is a law! You may have received an email that does but this article does NOT. Next,this article advises you to NOT trash other cultures. One of the inaccuarcies of this article is “if you descover you are talking to someone in a foreign country…”, in fact you may never know if you don’t ask. when ever I call a help desk or get a call from anyone the first question is “what country are you in.

My sister-in-law’s husband was fired some years ago due to downsizing and outsourcing which prompted me to do some research on the problem and I have refused to do business of any kind with foreign based call centers ever since.

The problem with this missive is that NO legislation has actually been passed to require call centers to either inform customers of the location of the call center nor to transfer the call to the US when requested. A few legislators have tried in vain to start such legislation but some companies have enacted their own policies to govern such requests. But claiming that there is a law when there isn’t just makes you look ignorant so I highly recommend against it. I make it a habit of only quoting laws that I have personal looked up and can quote the statue number for.

On a positive side, the practice described below, while not backed by law, does have merit. I have been doing this for years now, even before my B-I-L was fired, because I have always objected to talking to people whom I can barely understand. And I choose to do business in the USA and I expect to receive customer service in the USA. Most times when I find that I am talking to someone with a foreign accent and I ask what country they are in they will tell me. (if they are actually in the US they sometimes hesitate, out of fear, if I just ask where are they located) When I ask to be transferred to the US, however, I get mixed reactions. Sometimes they tell me that they can’t, or that there is no US call center. At this point I ask for a supervisor (another whole problem we can go into later) and inform him that I do not choose to do business with a foreign country and if I can’t be transferred to a US rep I will find another company to do business with. I will lodge a formal complaint with the company headquarters and stop doing business with them. (I will no longer use Belkin products because of this). D-Link put me into the “call cue where I might be re-routed to the US or any one of a number of call centers around the world”. Needless to say I went round and round. This is the same tactic used by Microsoft. It is almost impossible to get a US support from them.

Often times the best way to get results is to call the companies sales department. They are almost always located in the US. Inform then that you do not wish to do business with a foreign based customer center service rep. you should be able to get good information that way.

The big thing to keep in mind is that the person on the other end of the phone has no more control over where the call is routed then you do. It’s not his fault so don’t abuse him for it. And besides, he is more likely to be helpful if you are nice.

I think people need to just do their own research on matters like this and find out for yourself. When someone ever says oh snopes.com says so. That is a clear sign of ignorance and that makes whatever you say unreliable. I have a link attached to my details that I think is a good read if you fully read it and understand it. Do not take one piece out of context. I think that not only topics like this, but everything that you read, your own research into a claim should be done before making a comment. Otherwise any comment you make on someone elses claim just makes you look like an idiot and gives more fuel for the original claim to look more logical to the other idiot mass of the population. (Not accusing anyone of being an idiot, just saying most of us are.)

The worst part about this spoof is that you have it on your site – seeking to infer that President Obama is somehow res[responsible for sending Call Centers overseas. You should really thank Republicans who’s public is literally Corporate America.

Were are not afraid to lose our job here. We cater different location not only US, we do also australian , Canada, Uk,. So if ever that the government of US pull out all Us company here is not our lose. We’re flexible. Because american are a big racist ever. White people are known for their language so you should know how to adjust. You are aware that the call is outsource so make some adjustment. Or not deal with this company, this is how bussines work. Or else establish your own call center company and hired american people.

Maybe you can request for american agent but just to remind you their are few so good luck for waiting…

THIS all is a lie—I have talked to many NON USA based customer service reps and have requested to be transferred to one in USA or to SOMEONE who speaks clear ENGLISH as a primary language and have at times been transferred and other times told “we have no rep there” and would not do so even when requested nicely several times or when asked to speak with a supervisor. We as Americans need to take back AMERICA and for me that means dealing face to face with my service, product provider. I am now supporting only AMERICANS and we all need to do that. We have hungry people from kids to our seniors and even our veterns. I no longer see doctors brought in from other countries—-our country produce just fine MD’s. Every American needs to do this and demand things change to get American back on track. I remember when we took pride in what we made and the service we provided. I am sick and tired of feeding other countries our jobs, our benefits, and having them treat us terrible. Take a stand!!!